ipl-logo

Gender Stereotypes In An Inspector Calls Essay

1410 Words6 Pages

Priestly depicts gender stereotypes to emphasise gender in a capitalistic, misogynistic and patriarchal society, in his play 'An Inspector Calls'. Priestly portrays women as emotional, commodified, materialistic and irresponsible to highlight the way that a misogynistic capitalist society operates. In a similar manner, Priestly presents men as arrogant, ambitious, dominant, and strong. By doing this Priestly aims to critique capitalism and the underlying implications and undercurrent of problems which capitalism brings to provoke a reaction in the audience to promote socialism.

Priestly presents women as weak, emotional and irresponsible throughout the entire play by using Sheila to show the 'pink and intimate' safety bubble and facade which her family lives in. The emotional side of Shelia is shown when she recognises the …show more content…

The repition of "I am a hard headed man of business" shows his arrogance and his capitalistic and emotionless mentality. "I say there isn't a chance of war" show his stubborn and arrogance. Priestly uses this dramatic irony to persuade the audience to side against Birling as they will think that he is foolish, unsympathetic and untrustworthy. As of portraying their stubborn and heard headed personality was not enough, Priestly makes it sure that the audience is able to clearly see mentality and coldness that capitalism brings to a human by making men emotionless and unsympathetic. "Well, we've several hundred young women there, y'know, and they keep changing." This was said by Birling as soon as the inspector announced Eva’s death and clearly shows the lack of empathy and Birling’s misogynistic view of life. The tone of Birling’s response also depicts his lack of emotion. Priestly uses this to criticize capitalism because men having a capitalistic mind-set condones this arrogant, unemotional and unsympathetic mentality that men

Show More
Related
1538 Words | 7 Pages

Priestley implies that higher social class makes people greedy, through creating Mr Birling as a symbol of pomposity of capitalists in Edwardian society. He is constantly insecure in his own position and comes from the nouveau riche, making him socially inferior to the Crofts. Priestly illustrates how even Mr Birling experiences class prejudice despite being middle-upper class which provokes him to work harder and explains why he cares so much about being a ‘practical man of business’ and expanding his business to earn more money to decrease his insecurity. This is displayed when he says ‘There’ll be a public scandal... and who here will suffer for that more than I will’ indicating how significant money and his business is to him that he cares for his reputation before anything else. The desire of being associated amongst a higher class is the crucial reason for Mr Birling’s perspective on life, he is constantly striving to make more and more money to be able to live happily.

Read More
481 Words | 2 Pages

J.B. Priestly, presents the character of Mr Birling to show how business was an important aspect of life, ' hard-headed business man'. The alliteration 'hard-headed' has dual meanings of both ruthlessness in terms of business and 'hard-headed' as in arrogant. This presents a capitalist society and how Priestly wants the audience to understand that business was practically the heart of a man's life. Also, Priestly wanted to infer how the capitalist view was wrong. There is an atmosphere of misplaced optimism during 1912.

Read More
906 Words | 4 Pages

We are going to talk about the relationships between the different character in the inspector calls and Of Mice and Men. Mrs Birling comes around as controlling “your not to say such thing” what this suggests that Mrs Birling I reaming Mr birling at his origins. Mr birling is most control over the marriage there is no love.

Read More
1855 Words | 8 Pages

In the play An Inspector Calls, Priestley fundamentally presents a class ridden society through the characters attitudes and behaviour's within the play. The Birling family is seen to be attentive towards their class in society, especially Mr and Mrs Birling. Priestley uses the Birling family and The Inspector to imply how an arrogant and conceited mindset can destroy the lives of the less privileged through actions and words. Mr Birling is shown to be an extremely selfish, arrogant and stubborn character in the play.

Read More
541 Words | 3 Pages

In J.B. Priestley's play "An Inspector Calls," Mr Birling is portrayed as a wealthy businessman and a prominent member of the community. He is the head of a family that represents the upper class of Edwardian society, and his views and opinions reflect the prevailing attitudes of his time. Mr Birling's views on gender are typical of the patriarchal and conservative attitudes of his time. He believes that women should be submissive and should not have a say in political or economic matters.

Read More
764 Words | 4 Pages

J.B. Priestly wrote 'An Inspector Calls ' in 1944 when Britain was enduring the final year of The Second World War and the country was united in one community; together they were fighting for Britain. However, it was set in 1912 and, at the time, Social classes were a hefty issue resulting in a bitter division of people from different working classes. Priestly uses Eva Smith to cultivate the true idea of social classes that took place before the sinking of the Titanic and before the two world wars. She was an ordinary working-class lady and all of the other characters abused their social statuses over her; the Birlings, in particular, acted egoistical throughout the play without realizing how much pain they were inflicting on Eva 's life.

Read More
504 Words | 3 Pages

In the play An Inspector Calls written by J.B Priestley, the use of morality and double standards gives us an insight into the society of the early 1900s; which remains relevant in social stratification, cultural and deviance aspects. Through the story of Arthur Birling, Mrs. Sybil Birling and their children Eric and Sheila. The upper-class family, with untouchable reputation, enjoy of an intimate party soiree in honour of Sheila's engagement to Gerald Croft. Son of a well-known business man, Sir George Croft from Crofts Limited. When Inspector Goole pays a mood-changing visit, resulting in the systematic manipulation of the presumably respectable characters.

Read More
928 Words | 4 Pages

J.B Priestly wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1945, the last year of World War 2 but sets it in 1912 a time of inequality where upper and lower class was distinguished and treated differently within society and where a big gap existed among poor and rich people. The play introduces us to the theme of social inequality and social responsibility displaying the fact that trade unions were very weak, workers had few rights, wages were very low and many other injustices where made specially towards women; they were treated very differently then men and they were looked on as less important in society. Lighting is changed at the arrival of the Inspector "The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder" this displays a contrast between scenes and atmosphere. It also shows the change in mood; suggesting a cheerful environment and a very joyfully and delight mood, everybody feeling thrilled for Shelia 's engagement and celebrating united as a family. But it changes to "brighter and harder" at the arrival of the Inspector and

Read More
1487 Words | 6 Pages

In An Inspector Calls, J B Priestley highlights social inequality of class and gender prevalent in 1912 pre World war one Britain. At the centre of the play are the Birlings, an upper middle class family ambitious to improve their social status, with a possible involvement in the suicide of a desperate working class girl, Eva Smith. Actions, emotions, tones and the setting are used to convey the prominent social inequality resulting from the capitalistic economic and political system. Priestley encourages a creates disapproval towards of the relationship between his social inequality and society in order to convey his socialist views on how the upper classes should be responsible for those other than themselves.

Read More
1041 Words | 5 Pages

In An Inspector Calls the character Sheila changes and matures significantly throughout the play. Priestly aims to encourage and persuade the 1912 audience to consider the negative power of capitalists and that socialism is a better way forward. Sheila contributes to Priestly’s moral message about socialism and capitalism by emphasising the possibility for change which is up to the younger generation. At the start of the play, Sheila is portrayed as a spoiled daughter who has been taught to be submissive to her parents.

Read More
1098 Words | 5 Pages

Eva Smith is the most important character in ‘An Inspector Calls’ in my opinion. She is used as a tool by Priestley, to show us how the capitalists treat others and how they don’t care about others and how they think they have power over others in the low working class. “if they didn 't get rid of that girl, I 'd never go near the place again” Sheila Birling sacked Eva Smith form her second job because she was ‘laughing at her’ this is showing us that the upper class do whatever they want because of their wealth, class and privileges. Even though Eva Smith was never on the stage play; she is still important because a working class woman like her cant do anything to the upperclass families; yet she made the Birling family (an upperclass family) feel bad and guilty about their actions and take responsibility for corrupting her life. Eva Smith is the perfect example to show the audience that you might not be affected by this but someone might be and you will be the blame for it.

Read More
1631 Words | 7 Pages

J.B. Priestley's play "An Inspector Calls" is a morality play set un 1912 but written in 1945 just after The Second World War. Priestley wrote the play to attempt to change the views of the mostly middle-class audience to support the socialist movement. Priestley chose the perfect opportunity to write such a play as big changes where already beginning in Britain, such as the introduction of a Labour government and the overwhelming amount of involvement of women in the war effort showing the beginnings of equality and the breaking of gender norms. So, how does Priestley present ideas about society in An Inspector Calls?

Read More
1486 Words | 6 Pages

J.B Priestley, dramatist of the Play ‘An inspector calls’ written in 1945, portrays the story of a wealthy family in the industrial city of Brumley during 1912. They were holding an engagement party, until it was interrupted by a police inspector, who was investigating the suicide of a young woman named Eva smith. Lies reveal the series of events that lead her to take that decision. Priestly during the whole play makes the inspector’s presence powerful and dominant. The inspector is used to communicate the importance of looking towards a community and the way our actions affect each other.

Read More
1159 Words | 5 Pages

This depicts Mr. Birling as being a member of the capitalist, industrialist 'bourgeoisie ' class, which immediately paints him in a very negative light from the perspective of a 1946 post-WWII audience. During the play, he completely denies any responsibility towards the demise of Eva Smith, just close to the end he is heard saying he 'd "offer thousands" to Eva Smith – demonstrating that he hasn 't changed that much and will 'pay off ' his part in Eva 's passing. Sheila Birling, on the other hand, recognizes the consequences of her actions, which sets her apart from almost all her family.

Read More
1576 Words | 7 Pages

By what means, and how effectively does J.B Priestley make us consider the theme of social responsibility in his play ‘An Inspector Calls’? “An Inspector Calls” by J.B Priestley is a play about Social Responsibility and Innocence. Priestly uses various methods to explore this theme - such as characterisation, contrast and setting. The play begins with the family celebrating Sheila and Gerald’s engagement. The mood is light and fun, until Inspector walks in and informs the family that there has been a suicide of a young woman (Eva Smith), and they may be involved.

Read More

More about Gender Stereotypes In An Inspector Calls Essay

Related Topics

Open Document